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Public Works proposes $750,000 coastal resiliency package including dune restoration and sheet‑pile wall
Summary
Public Works presented the FY26–30 capital plan on April 28 calling for a $750,000 coastal resiliency allocation (dune restoration, sand replenishment and a sheet‑pile wall), a Boom Road culvert project and options to replace an aging Lund Road storage building.
Public Works presented its FY26–30 capital improvement plan to the Saco City Council on April 28, highlighting coastal resilience investments, stormwater work and a proposed reallocation for municipal storage needs.
Director Mark Moore (presentation lead) said the proposed coastal resiliency line item totals $750,000 for FY26: $250,000 for FEMA Category B dune restoration (approximately 1,200 cubic yards between Eastern Avenue and Lower Beach, per presentation), $300,000 for sand replacement (about 6,000 cubic yards via dredging) and $200,000 for a sheet‑pile wall at North and Eastern avenues (funds to be staged across two budgets; figures presented without escalation). Moore said the dune restoration project would be coordinated with York County and the county’s dredge program and that FEMA reimbursement eligibility could change with a Category G design (longer-term).
Moore also reviewed a Boom Road culvert award (work to begin after the in‑stream window opens in mid‑July and be complete by October) and a $254,000 bid to replace fuel‑island pumps and piping at a municipal fueling site. He said the city’s Lund Road storage facility requires substantial foundation repair (engineering estimate $592,000) and recommended instead funding construction of a new 60×80 cold-storage building at the Public Works site (15 Pillow Spring Road) over two budget years and decommissioning Lund Road in future.
Councilors asked whether the sheet‑pile wall and sand replenishment would reduce recurring roadway repair costs caused by storm-related washouts. Moore said the sheet‑pile wall would protect the vulnerable roadway segment between Jersey barriers and the beach, and that replacing the roadway after a failure typically costs in the range of $150,000–$250,000 depending on severity; council members noted the protective value of sand placements in reducing shoreline erosion.
The capital plan lists a FY26 capital total of about $6.99 million across categories; the $750,000 coastal resiliency package is a significant FY26 component. No final appropriation was made at the meeting; the capital plan will be considered as part of the city’s overall budget process.
